In order to help fill the Ohio insurance industry’s projected 29,000 job openings by 2024, the Ohio Insurance Institute (OII) will offer a $100 online workplace readiness course for individuals seeking to enter the field, OII President Dean Fadel announced with Gov. John Kasich on Tuesday.

Joined by other Ohio insurance industry leaders in the Statehouse Cabinet Room, Fadel said most of those job openings will not require a college degree.

“We are launching an online curriculum that’s intended to help people get their foot in the door to a good career path in the insurance industry,” Fadel said. “There are many different paths you can take once you get in -- it’s not just sales, not just math. People with law enforcement backgrounds are needed for fraud investigations. We need IT people.”

Similarly, Kasich said, “Insurance is not what you think … like, ‘I’ve got pencils in my pocket and I use a calculator.’ It’s more than that. It’s a broad and exciting industry.” Fadel and Kasich noted that the insurance industry has formed partnerships with 10 higher education institutions to train students for a job in the field.

“If kids can get interested and these schools can bend their curriculum to accommodate training and skill development, they’re going to get a job,” Kasich said. “Everybody is uptight -- ‘I’ve got all this debt. I can’t get work. I’m living in mom’s basement.’ These folks are doing a great job. A lot of other industries can learn from this.”

Fadel said OII will offer vouchers for those who can’t afford to spend $100 on the program. He said they’ll also recruit diverse applicants to take part in the program, offering vouchers to them as well.

The program is aimed at people who want to move from their current job or students seeking their first job.

According to OII, the program includes an industry career overview, business and interpersonal skills training, a five-week set of “Insurance Industry Workplace Essentials” modules, a portfolio assignment and the final “Insurance Essentials” module.

The modules, which are 40-minute sessions followed by assignments, include the following:

- Conceptualizing a professional development plan for a job search.

- Preparing an effective resume and cover letter.

- Interview process.

- How to evaluate a job offer.

- How to navigate the first 90 days of a job in the industry.

Then the trainee will have two weeks to compile their module assignments into a portfolio.

The “Insurance Essentials” module includes the following sections:

- Introduction to Insurance and Risk Management

- The Role of Insurance

- Insurer Profitability

- Insurance Industry Companies and Roles

- The Typical Insurance Transaction

Those who complete the program will receive a certificate.